It is quickly becoming necessary for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to automate their testing processes. It becomes all the more vital while focusing on the development of their online services and e-commerce operations. Failing this, SMEs would face a situation where they may be unable to deal with the expenses incurred due to performance issues and service delays.

Test automation increases overall software efficiency and ensures robust software quality. There are specific tools that can effectively execute automated test cases, and help in comparing actual and expected results. In this manner, automated testing can guarantee software proficiency without involving repeated and manual intervention.

One of the biggest business perks of automated testing is that it can be implemented time and again, with minimal effort and maximum accuracy.

1. Faster Feedback

Automated testing comes as a relief for validation during various phases of a software project. This improves communication among coders, designers, and Product Owners, and allows potential glitches to be immediately rectified. Automated testing assures higher efficiency of the development team.

2. Accelerated Results

Owing to the quick implementation of automated testing, plenty of time is saved even for intricate and enormous systems. This allows for the testing to be carried out repeatedly, delivering faster results each time with lesser effort and time.

3. Reduced Business Expenses

It comes as no surprise that while the initial investment may be on the higher side, automated testing saves companies many a penny. This is predominantly due to the sharp drop in the amount of time required to run tests. It contributes to a higher quality of work, thereby decreasing the necessity for fixing glitches after release and reduces project costs.

4. Testing Efficiency Improvement

Testing takes up a significant portion of the overall application development lifecycle. This goes to show that even the slightest improvement of the overall efficiency can make an enormous difference to the overall timeframe of the project. Although the setup time takes longer initially, automated tests eventually take up significantly lesser amounts of time. They can be run virtually unattended, leaving the results to be monitored towards the end of the process.

5. Higher Overall Test Coverage

Through the implementation of automated tests, more tests can be executed pertaining to an application. This leads to a higher coverage that in a manual testing approach, would imply a massive team limited heavily with their amount of time. An increased test coverage leads to testing more features and higher quality applications.

6. Reusability of Automated Tests

Due to the repetitive nature of test automation test cases, in addition to the relatively easy configuration of their setup, software developers have the opportunity to assess program reaction. Automated test cases are reusable and can hence be utilized through different approaches.

7. Earlier Detection of Defects

The documentation of software defects becomes considerably easier for the testing teams. This helps increase the overall development speed while ensuring correct functionality across areas. The earlier a defect is identified, the more cost-effective it is to fix the glitch.

8. Thoroughness in Testing

Testers tend to have different testing approaches, and their focus areas could vary due to their exposure and expertise. With the inclusion of automation, there is a guaranteed focus on all areas of testing, thereby assuring best possible quality.

9. Faster Time-to-Market

Test Automation greatly helps reduce the time-to-market of an application by allowing constant execution of test cases. Once automated, the test library execution is faster and runs longer than manual testing.

10. Information Security

The effectiveness of testing will be largely dependent on the quality of the test data you use. Manually creating quality test data takes time, and as a result, testing is often performed on copies of live databases. Automation solutions can help with creating, manipulating, and protecting your test database, allowing you to re-use your data time and again. The time and cost savings in this area are potentially huge.

The most promising aspect of the automated testing process is that it adds value to all of the stakeholders involved. It improves brand image, generates higher revenue, increases brand recall and ensures higher customer retention. As a result, there is an increase in the investment on product research and process innovation, thereby helping the organization to scale new heights and establish superiority in the market.

This will eventually yield in permanent fixes of issues being faced by the organization and will help raise industry standards altogether. It is up to business leaders to recognize the importance of quality assurance, and ultimately make it a part of the core business strategy. Employees need to be effectively trained and explained the necessity of quality assurance, as well as the advantages of test automation.

In essence, it can be established that automated testing results in cost reduction, time and effort saving, quicker feedback, consistency and quicker results, thereby directly contributing to increases in productivity and leading to maximization of profits. Advantages such as these can make all the difference as SMEs constantly endeavor to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. They can directly contribute to the success level of the enterprise.

In short, “software designed to test the quality of other software” is what we can call software test automation. — Original Software

Reasons Why Test Automation is Not More Widely Implemented

Although test automation is hugely recommended, not all organizations readily embrace it in its entirety. A huge reason for this is the initial cost that comes with the configuration of the automated testing process. In addition, most organizational leaders tend to overlook this aspect and continuously place the issue on the back-burner. There is a certain resistance to change that they face before implementing it sprouting from a place of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.